


The Magic of Serenity

by ANGSWIN



Category: Firefly, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Friendship, Magical Accidents, Mutual Pining, Not HP Epilogue Compliant, Post-Serenity (2005), Romance, Time Travel, space travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:21:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25622032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANGSWIN/pseuds/ANGSWIN
Summary: A magical accident sends Hermione across time and space to take her place among a ragtag group of smugglers.  However, she soon suspects that was where her heart was meant to be all along.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Malcolm Reynolds
Comments: 12
Kudos: 43
Collections: Hermione's Haven Bingo 2020, Hermione's Haven Roll-A-Drabble





	The Magic of Serenity

**Author's Note:**

> Written to serve double duty:  
>  **2020 Hermione’s Haven Bingo**  
>  Square: N1 – Prompt: Mal Reynolds  
>  **2020 June HH Roll-A-Drabble**  
>  Trope: Blanket Sharing

“Captain?” 

The soft voice sounded from behind the console where Mal handled the controls while his usual pilot and the others were busy trying to patch each other and the ship up from their latest caper. They had gotten away successfully with the goods, of course, but not before a couple of stray blasts had roughed up some of his crew and had taken out _Serenity’s_ environmental controls, as well. That was the reason why it was so gorram cold throughout the entire ship at the moment. 

_It could’ve been worse, though,_ Mal reasoned. _Life support could’ve been compromised. Bein’ cold is a far sight better than bein’ dead._

At the sound of the woman’s voice, though, Mal turned his head just in time to see the newest member of the _Serenity_ crew come up and drop a blanket over his shoulders. She then murmured what he could only assume was some sort of heating spell because a slight warming sensation suddenly infused him from his head to his toes and almost made him sigh with pleasure.

“Hopefully, that will last and keep you comfortable until Kaylee can get the heat on again.” Hermione replied to the question he had not yet asked. “She’s working so hard that she didn’t even need a Warming Charm of her own. However, I did make the rounds to drop one on everyone else. Jayne wanted to argue, of course, even though he was still being stitched up by Simon. He soon changed his mind, however, when River informed him that if he didn’t shut up then she would just knock him out first and then let me put the charm on him anyway.” 

Hermione smiled at the thought of her argumentative shipmates whom she had finally figured out squabbled so much simply as a way to try and hide their attraction for each other. After all, they were way too similar to dislike one another as much as they pretended. Everyone else already seemed to know that though, so it was just a matter of time before the two of them finally figured it out and got together.

For his part, Mal felt a tug at his heart when he saw Hermione’s gentle smile and he sent his thanks out to the ‘verse again for the magical accident that, against all odds, had brought the wonderful witchy woman from Earth-That-Was on board the _Serenity_ in the first place.

* * *

However, Mal hated to admit now, even to himself, that he had not been nearly as pleased a year ago. That was when the unconscious woman had suddenly appeared out of thin air and fallen right on top of him in the middle of his cargo hold while _Serenity_ was still in flight.

“Shun sheng duh goa-wahn!*” Mal had cursed to nobody in particular as he picked both himself and the unauthorized visitor off of the cargo bay floor.

The woman had been bleeding, however, so despite his shock at the impossibility of her arrival, he still carried her to the sick bay to be patched up by the ship’s doctor. After all, Mal had always had a weakness when it came to protecting women folk. 

That was still true even after all of his disastrous run-ins with Saffron…or whatever the con-woman’s real name was. It even held firm after Inara had broken his heart when she had decided that she was tired of waiting for him to come to terms with her chosen profession. When that did not happen, she had finally left _Serenity_ for good in order to find someone else who could accept it without reservations. It must have worked, because she told Kaylee in her last letter that she had gotten married. That had been months ago, however, and the Captain now had more pressing things on his mind.

“Who the hell’s that? A stowaway? How’d she get aboard? We haven’t been planetside in weeks.” Jayne asked as Mal passed him in the corridor with his unexpected burden. The Captain just shrugged and kept walking as he tried to figure out the very same thing.

River was in the infirmary with her brother and her voice broke into Mal’s reverie as he laid the new unmoving arrival onto the small infirmary bed. “She has lost everything and is far from home,” the Reader announced in her usual cryptic way after she had placed a hand on the other woman’s forehead. “She is powerful, though…and dangerous…but she is _good_ …and will stay and become a _friend_ to us all.” She looked at the Captain strangely, however, as she emphasized the last part.

As usual, however, Mal did not understand most of what River had to say. Nevertheless, it had been over two years since Miranda and their up close encounter with the Reavers. Therefore, he knew very well by that point that River was different and somehow could see, understand, and do things that nobody else could. Plus, despite the odd habit she had of occasionally referring to herself in the third person, she had never steered him wrong before. 

The _dangerous_ part worried him a bit, of course. However, if River said the woman was trustworthy, then he had to believe it. After all, how could he fault the newcomer for being dangerous when the whole damn crew was - in one way or the other. Even the mild-mannered and soft-handed Doc knew how to poison someone or how to inflict the maximum amount of damage with a scalpel if it ever became necessary to do so! 

Consequently, at that point, even though he still wondered how she found her way aboard _Serenity_ in the first place, Mal did not even question the fact that River had somehow _seen_ that the new stray was apparently going to join his already mismatched crew. The captain just harrumphed irritably as he fondly remembered the days when _he_ used to make all of the decisions. In addition to that, he could not help but to wonder where he was going to put her. All the bunk spaces were already taken.

“She will have the empty shuttle, of course.” River replied to his unspoken question. 

It always made him nervous when she did that. After all, he found it downright creepifying to know that the girl could get in his mind whenever she wanted. Nevertheless, River ignored his irritation and continued. “She needs the extra space to work.” What kind of work, though, River could not, or would not, explain – except to say that it was something that none of the others could do.

Mal just huffed again at the thought of the loss of all that potential coin. In reality, however, he had not planned to rent out the shuttle again…not so soon after the Inara disappointment, at any rate. The word _work_ was still welcome, though – especially since he insisted that his crew members had to be able to hold their own. He was particularly glad that the new woman was obviously not a Companion as Inara had been, though – even if he was reluctant to consider why that was. He only wondered what other kind of skills she would bring to the group. As it happened, he did not have to wait very long to find out. 

~~~~~

When Hermione came back to consciousness, she found not only a strange man bent over her but also several other spectators in the room who watched her closely. Unfortunately, the situation was way too similar to her torture on the Malfoy Manor drawing room floor. Consequently, her instincts kicked in and the first thing she did was to pull her wand out of its disillusioned holster and press it into the doctor’s neck as she climbed unsteadily out of the bed and slipped behind the man in order to better hold him into place.

“Who the Hell are you and where in Merlin’s name am I?” she asked in a slightly frantic tone as she looked around the unfamiliar sick bay…but her firm grip on Simon…and her thin carved wooden stick…never faltered. 

Mal could not help but to feel pleased when he realized that even though the small woman was obviously confused and scared, she was also a fighter, as well. Plus, he had finally noticed that she was quite attractive with her warm eyes and lively hair that seemed to have a life of its own. In addition to all of that, she sounded posh and intelligent, as well…just like the Doc. 

_Good!_ he thought approvingly. _We could always do with a few more smarts around here._ _A little bit o’ extra muscle and another pretty face won’t hurt none either! She’s all versatile-like, so she’ll fit right in._

For his part, Simon did not know whether to be amused or terrified at the unlikely choice of weapon that held him in place, so he just gave it the benefit of doubt and stood still. Jayne, however, decided that the situation was funny and laughed at the woman as he advanced on her in an obvious attempt to take her little stick away. Just a flick of it, a flash of red light, and a shouted _Stupefy,_ however, sent him to the floor before he could take more than a couple of steps towards her.

It was immediately obvious to Mal that Jayne was not dead…just unconscious. Therefore, even as he drew his own weapon out of habit, the captain found that he was impressed with the stranger’s quick reflexes and understood why River had called her dangerous. Another flick and an _Expelliarmus_ later found him a little less pleased, however, when she also held his gun in her empty hand. 

“Now wait just a gorram minute…” he started to say before he realized that she had not attempted to aim it at any of them. That renewed his faith in River’s vision of the woman’s future with the crew. He just hoped that she would not attack any more of them until they could all figure it out…or at least not rough them up too much in the process.

River was the one who finally sorted it all out for them, though, when both the stick and the gun flew out of the stranger’s hands and into her own. River had made things move on their own before, so that did not surprise her brother and the captain as much as her next words did. Amazingly enough, the proof of River’s special abilities did not seem to faze the newcomer, either, though, or set her any more on edge than she already was. In fact, she actually looked relieved at the sight.

“Leave us,” River told the men as she handed the captain back his gun. Then, with a smile, she gave the stick back to its owner, as well. That action alone seemed to soothe away the rest of the woman’s fears and the stick vanished up her sleeve as her body practically sagged with relief at the knowledge that she was not being attacked or held against her will.

“Leave us,” River told the men again and shooed them towards the door before she looked down with a small smile at Jayne, who was just beginning to stir. “Take that one with you. He will be angry when he wakes.”

Again, Mal had a brief wistful thought about what it used to mean to be in charge before he gave in and snorted in amusement at River’s obvious understatement about Jayne’s inevitable reaction. Meanwhile, Simon merely nodded to his sister in agreement and grabbed his shipmate’s feet while Mal reached down to pick him up under the arms. Then the two shuffled out of the sick bay with the heavy man between them before the door slid shut behind them. When the predictable, and only slightly muffled, roar of fury sounded from the other side a moment later, River turned towards the other woman with a smirk before she began to speak.

She got straight to the most important point first. “2519,” was all she said at first and the other woman looked at her curiously for just a moment until she figured out that she was being told what the current year was. Her eyes then closed briefly in pain and sorrow at the confirmation of her worst fears before they opened again. However, River was impressed at the determination that also blazed from them then - even while the tears began to fall at the same time. Therefore, the _Serenity_ pilot continued to explain everything she could to the newcomer, whose name she had _seen_ to be Hermione, about her current situation. 

~~~~~

Nobody knew exactly what the two women talked about during that time in the infirmary. However, when they finally emerged, over two hours later, and approached the rest of the curious crew, it was it was clear that explanations had been shared and the two had come to an understanding. It fact, their new found friendship was obvious when they left the sick bay and entered the galley for the evening meal that Zoe had prepared in the meantime. 

The sight of their hands, clasped in mutual support, completely softened Simon and he forgave the strange woman for her earlier threatening behavior immediately. After all, because of her unconventional childhood, his sister had never had the opportunity to make many friends before _Serenity_ …and even then it was a struggle for the crew to trust her. The fact that the new woman had accepted her so quickly after seeing with her own eyes the proof of his sister’s _differences_ was definitely the most important point in her favor in his opinion. The fact that she was obviously a bit different herself no longer concerned him as much as it had when she and River were sequestered away alone together. In fact, as a show of good faith, he even gestured for her to take the empty seat next to him.

For his part, Mal recalled River’s beginning predictions that they were all going to be friends, so he just nodded when he noticed Zoe quirk a curious eyebrow in his direction. That seemed to be all his First Mate and best friend needed to know because she simply shrugged and went right back to dishing up the meal. The two of them had known each other long enough and had been through so much together that Mal’s opinion had always been good enough for her…and vice versa. 

_When had things ever been normal aboard Serenity anyway?_ she thought with a shake of her head.

Kaylee and Jayne remained wary, however. Even though the Captain had told them what River had _seen,_ Kaylee was not pleased that the mysterious woman had pulled a weapon on _her_ Simon. However, when it became clear that Simon did not hold a grudge, and when she saw the evidence of the woman’s now treated injuries and the remaining tear stains from her ordeal…and whatever news River had been able to give to her…she also quickly forgave her. After all, she hated to see anyone in any kind of pain. Accordingly, she quickly produced a clean wet cloth to help the new girl freshen herself up. Hermione accepted it gratefully and Kaylee smiled. 

_At the very least_ , she thought, _it will be shiny to have another girl around to help tone down all of the testosterone!_

As River introduced her by name to the others, as well, Hermione smiled gently, but with a hint of sadness, at them all…until her gaze landed on Jayne. The big man frowned at the petite woman as he tried to figure out how she had put him down so completely - without causing him any physical pain at all. Even River, as small as she was, still would have hurt him a lot more than that. Therefore, he was annoyed…but he had to admit that he was also quite impressed by such a feat at the same time. 

When she apologized to him…to them all…for overreacting when she found herself in pain, in a strange place, and surrounded by strange people, even Jayne had to nod. That part was completely understandable and he knew he would have done worse than she had in the same kind of situation. In fact, the bodies that he made hit the floor would have stayed there. He still had to know about the rest of it all, though.

“How’d you knock me out with just a stick from ‘cross the room?” he asked with his usual gruffness. “You some kind o’ witch or somethin’?” 

At those words, Hermione looked uneasily over at the new friend whose hand she still held. When River nodded encouragingly, the woman focused back at Jayne and replied. “It’s funny that you should ask me that,” she answered softly and the ghost of a smile flashed across her face. After all, she had always enjoyed displaying her knowledge. Hermione then proceeded to give a physical demonstration in lieu of an actual explanation when she pulled out her wand again and performed, to the amazement of the onlookers, some basic levitation charms and transfiguration spells before exhaustion, both physical and emotional, overcame her. In fact, she looked as if she was close to passing out. 

“A good night’s sleep is what you need!” Simon immediately prescribed to counteract Hermione’s recent shock and subsequent fatigue. After all, witch or not, the woman obviously needed some rest.

The woman just tiredly apologized to them all again before River led her to her new quarters. Neither of them said much as Hermione transfigured her clothing into something reasonably comfortable to sleep in and slid into bed. She did not ask, but she was still grateful when her new friend decided to stay with her until she fell asleep. 

Afterwards, River returned to the others. Even though she would only repeat what she had already explained to Mal, they all stayed up long into the sleep cycle to discuss the magical new arrival. Consequently, they were eager to hear the rest of her story from her own lips. 

“After all, it’s bound to be a gorram doozy!” Jayne remarked…and the others had to agree.

~~~~~

In the days that followed, Hermione heard some of their personal histories from the rest of the crew. It did not take her long to realize then that somehow she had ended up with a group of people who, if they had been at Hogwarts, would have all been sorted into Gryffindor without a doubt. In fact, she could practically hear the Sorting Hat’s song in her mind whenever she looked at them _. Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart._

The distinction was strongest with their leader, though, since it was definitely clear from the beginning that the Captain had a “saving people thing” that could rival even Harry’s. That was especially true when it came to the ones closest to him...the chosen family who made up the _Serenity_ crew. However, the knowledge that the group was so similar to her old friends in so many ways only served to help set Hermione at ease, both with them and her new existence, much quicker than she ever would have thought was possible.

Hermione continued to miss her friends back home desperately - especially since the relationship between Mal and Zoe reminded her so much of the one that she and Harry had built up over the years. However, she also knew the odds of ever seeing him, or any of the Weasleys, again…over 500 years in the past…were overwhelmingly nonexistent. Therefore, she was extremely thankful to realize that she had so much in common with the ragtag, but close knit, crew of _Serenity_ … _and_ that it was clear from the beginning that she could trust them. That remained true even after she figured out that their “shipping” outfit was not exactly a legitimate one…and that they usually operated on the wrong side of the authorities. Nevertheless, to Mal’s secret relief, she did not seem to judge them for their less-than-legal activities.

She simply shrugged. “You have to do what’s best for you and your crew,” she told him in a matter-of-fact way that took him by surprise when the subject finally came up. 

However, to her, it made perfect sense. After all, she remembered all too well what it was like to be on the run from a corrupt government. In fact, she vowed to herself to do everything she could to help the ones who had willingly taken her in – especially after she learned what the ones who were supposedly in charge had done to River when she had been just a child. The other young woman’s scars may not have been as visible as her own, but Hermione soon realized that they ran much deeper…and with more permanent effects than hers did. That realization only helped her to appreciate her first friend in her strange new reality all the more...and she and River soon became the closest female friends that either of them had ever had. 

As for the rest of the _Serenity_ crew, even though they had previously known nothing of magic, they had actually seen a lot of strange and sometimes unexplainable things on their travels across the ‘verse. Therefore, the discovery was not as shocking as it could have been. Their exposure to River and her special abilities helped in their acceptance of the new woman, as well. It also did not hurt Hermione’s case at all when they realized…after just a couple of planetside adventures…that new girl was also definitely a soldier (even though she preferred to use her skills in nonlethal ways whenever possible) – and a person who would not hesitate to fight for the downtrodden underdog – no matter what. Consequently, Mal was pleased to know that he had been right (with a little help from River) all along. Hermione did fit in perfectly with the rest of the team!

Once the crew relaxed around her, she also felt more comfortable around them, too. Eventually, she even determined that there was no point in a Statute of Secrecy for a group of people who were probably scattered across the galaxy - if they even still existed in the first place. Therefore, Hermione told them all about magic on the planet they knew as Earth-That-Was. She also told them the story of the curious witch who, while cataloguing unlabeled artifacts down in the Department of Mysteries of the British Ministry of Magic, had been injured in an inexplicable magical explosion that had somehow also sent her across time and space…away from everything and everyone she had ever known and loved…in order to land on top of the unsuspecting Captain Reynolds inside of his own ship.

“You’re one of us now.” Mal spoke for them all when he laid a comforting hand over the younger woman’s when she began to tear up again at the thought of what she had lost. That was all that needed to be said and Hermione could not help but to feel grateful for what she had surprisingly gained instead. After all, she knew that the magical backlash of the accident could have sent her _anywhere._ Therefore, she was happy that her particular anywhere had turned out to be the safety of _Serenity_ and companionship of her crew _._

~~~~~

Over the next year, that same Captain’s admiration for his newest crew member grew by leaps and bounds. Not only could she obviously hold her own during fights and capers, but she also knew all kinds of handy magical spells for every possible occasion – especially for the kind of work they did. She could easily open locked doors, stun and tie up enemies without touching them, instantly heal broken bones, summon up life-saving supplies, and transfer herself, as well as one or two of her companions, away from dangerous situations in the blink of an eye. 

In addition to all of that, she had even set up some kind of laboratory in her shuttle where she experimented with the weird little plants and such that she was always gathering or trading for while they were planetside. She then sold the resulting medical concoctions for a healthy profit whenever they docked on a wealthy Alliance planet. However, Mal also noticed, with no small amount of pride (even as he also silently mourned the loss of coin), that she often gave just as many away when they landed on the poor little outposts of the smaller outer planets where the people were often left to fend for themselves.

Hermione turned out to have a voracious appetite for non-magical knowledge, as well. In fact, Mal would often come across her pouring over the historical databanks in the ship’s computer late during the sleep cycle, after everyone else had already retired, in order to catch up on everything that had happened in the 500+ years that she had magically skipped over. At first, she was just trying to determine if any magical societies still existed out there, and if there was anyone left in charge to contact. However, when her searches kept coming up empty on that front, she soon abandoned the idea and became interested in the fascinating history of the ‘verse for its own sake. 

Unfortunately, the ship’s resources for learning were limited. It was a fact that obviously bothered Hermione, and therefore, Mal often found himself inexplicably drawn to the education stalls whenever they visited the markets (even though he had always avoided them before). They just so happened to be the only places that he could pick up some of the older schooling chips that were compatible with _Serenity’s_ admittedly outdated hardware. However, the look of delight that crossed Hermione’s face every time he presented her with a new topic or lesson, even if it was just on a cheap little chip, somehow made him feel as if it was worth a million credits instead. 

Nevertheless, it was not until the day that he spent most of his personal take of their last dangerous caper for an old portable “Teacher” at the market, one that was preloaded with several years' worth of lessons, that he realized that his thoughts and feelings about the woman he had bought it for had changed considerably. She had squealed with delight at the unexpected gift and had thrown herself into his arms to give him both an enthusiastic hug and a soft warm kiss on his cheek for his thoughtfulness. The feel of her body against his, as brief as the contact was, made him finally realize that she had somehow become much more to him than just a crew member…and even more than a mere friend, as well.

After that, he noticed the little things more often: how warm her smile was, how bright her eyes were, how skillfully her hands moved as she chopped and stirred her concoctions, and how her posh little accent caused his heart to beat a little bit faster whenever she spoke to him. All he could think about then was that he wanted her for himself. He wanted that smile to point in his direction, those eyes to gaze into his own, and for those hands to roam all over him as she whispered either filthy things while underneath him or sweet little words while next to him – all in that lovely accent of hers. 

He tried to push such distracting thoughts away, but they were always there right under the surface, ready to pop up at any given point in time. Usually that happened at the most inopportune moments - such as when they had to brush up against each other to pass through _Serenity’s_ narrow corridors. It was almost impossible to hide his questionable reactions to her at such a time. 

Consequently, when Hermione asked Jayne to teach her how to shoot, his new feelings meant that Mal was hit with a sharp stab of jealousy at the idea as he wondered why she had not asked him first. At any rate, he immediately decided that he wanted that job for himself…and told the other man so. 

“It’s my job to train recruits,” he said in justification of his actions, even though he was well aware of how gorram ridiculous the statement sounded as soon as it left his mouth.

“It’s alright, Boss,” Jayne grinned knowingly. “I get it. You want ‘er for yourself.”

As much as he wanted to, Mal found that he could not argue with him at all. Therefore, he did not even try. As he wrapped his arms around Hermione during their first lesson to show her how to properly hold the weapon, though, the feel of her there made him realize just how right Jayne had been. When she hugged him in excitement after she hit the target on the first try, he thrilled at her touch and he wanted to tell her how he felt, to show her, to do something… _anything_ …to breach the gap at that moment and make her his. He ultimately ignored those impulses, though, and things continued on in the same disappointingly normal way that they had since her arrival.

“It’s okay for you to like her, you know,” Zoe told him at one point when even she grew weary with his inaction. After all, she probably knew Mal better than he knew himself.

“Listen to me,” she continued seriously. “I know what I am talking about. Grab onto your happiness now...and hold on tight...while you can because you never know when you will lose it.” Mal did not even have to ask then to know that she was thinking about Wash. “Don’t make the same mistake you made with Inara,” she also added in warning. “Don’t wait too long!”

It was only then that Mal realized he had not even thought about the other woman in many months. In fact, Hermione had been the only one on his mind (and probably in his heart, too…if he would only allow himself to admit it) for a good long while. Therefore, he also knew that Zoe was right. She had always been his calm voice of logic. Despite all of that, though, he found that he was still unsure of Hermione’s feelings. After all, he did not want to take advantage of her while she was still adjusting to the shock of her lost life and new circumstances and, consequently, end up in the “Special Hell” that the Shepherd had warned him about so long ago. Instead, he continued to watch…and wait…for a sign that she might want him, too.

* * *

Mal shook his head and forced his mind back to the present. As he looked at the thoughtful woman next to him who had just delivered her gifts of warmth, he thought of his First Mate’s advice again as he suddenly realized that he could have lost Hermione earlier in the day's chaos. After all, he had seen her go down under a shot before she even had the chance to magic up a shield to deflect it. He had rushed over to her, but fortunately the bullet had just grazed her, and she was up on her own feet before he even got there. 

It had scared the gorram hell of him all the same, even though she reassured him that she was fine. The subject then had to be closed for the time being while she levitated the more seriously wounded Jayne back to the ship. Even though his injuries were not life-threatening, the big man still needed more help than her concoctions and basic knowledge of magical First Aid could provide. Therefore, she had rushed him back to the infirmary to receive Simon’s expert care.

That had all happened just a couple of hours earlier. However, Mal realized that he could still feel a trickle of the fear that he had experienced when he saw her fall as he took her arm and gently pushed up her sleeve to look at her wound. She had apparently already treated it, probably with one of her own magical concoctions, and even in that short amount of time it had faded enough to reassure him that it probably would not even scar. A wave of relief flowed through him at the conclusive evidence that she really was alright, even as the thought of scars caused his eyes to flick down over the other one located on her forearm. He then allowed himself to ponder the events of the night when she had finally told him about the experience that had put it there in the first place.

~ 

It was late, and the rest of the crew had already staggered off to bed after getting a bit carried away when part of their payment for a job had been a full case of fine wine and spirits. However, Mal and Hermione had remained in the little lounge area for a bit longer to finish off their shared bottle. It was then that her sleeve had slid up and he had seen the slur carved into her arm for the very first time. Even though she tried to cover it and demur, he would not let it rest until he knew the whole story…and she had drunk too much by that time to be able to successfully divert his attention. Consequently, she simply sighed before she told him everything about her part in the Wizarding War that she had purposely withheld before whenever she had referred to it.

“Huh choo-shung tza-jiao duh tzang-huo!”** was his immediate reaction to the news that she had been tortured.

His ensuing fury, though, had been immediately driven away when she, warmed by his anger on her behalf, completely distracted him by leaning in and giving him a sweet…and only slightly drunken…kiss of appreciation – even as she wondered why she had not thought of that pleasantly diverting action earlier. Regardless of her intentions, however, Mal had given into his repressed feelings and eagerly returned the gesture. In fact, they had only pulled away from their increasingly urgent exploration of each other’s lips when it became necessary to breathe. 

Afterwards…still tipsy, confused, and massively turned on…they had awkwardly parted company for the night. However, even though they each recalled that intriguing encounter with diamond-edged clarity, and consequently thought about it often, neither of them had mentioned it again. They each thought that the other simply could not possibly remember it due to the sheer volume of alcohol that had also been consumed by them both beforehand. 

Just as it often did, though, Mal’s mind strayed back to that amazing kiss again when he saw Hermione shiver, just as she had that night under his touch, as she currently relayed the reassuring recovery status of the rest of the crew. Despite his distraction, he realized then that, of course she had worn herself out, not only with the fight, but also with the effort required to take care of everyone else first after their misadventures of the day. Therefore, he knew that she probably did not have enough power or energy, or whatever it was that allowed her to do her particular brand of hocus pocus, left in order to take care of her own chills. 

Since she was the self-appointed caretaker of the group, it certainly was not the first time that it had happened since she had joined the crew, and he doubted that it would be the last one, either. In fact, Mal realized, that sometimes someone needed to take care of her for a change. This was one of those times. Consequently, he did not even hesitate as he made room for her on the pilot’s seat and held one side of his blanket open for her in an unspoken invitation to join him there. 

Hermione, on the other hand, did momentarily hesitate before she slid into the seat next to him. She just was not sure that she could trust herself. Consequently, almost against her will, she sighed as his arm went around her in order to better accommodate them both on the seat. His body heat made an immediate difference to her condition and she soon felt comfortable enough to remember why she had hesitated before as she began to consider the intriguing possibilities of their position. 

After all, she was _finally_ in Mal’s arms after months of waiting and wanting – especially after the memories of that late night drunken debacle constantly drove her to distraction. Consequently, it only took a moment for her to decide to take full advantage of their situation. Accordingly, she gathered up all of her Gryffindor courage and finally made a conscious move to get closer, both literally and figuratively, to the man whom she only admired and desired more as the time continued to pass since her unexpected arrival on his ship _._

Therefore, she made an adjustment to their position as she quickly moved to straddle him on the seat instead. Even though she was nervous of her reception, she was immediately rewarded with a groan from the man below her and proof that her interest was returned by the sudden increase of pressure between them exactly where their two bodies met. Hermione gave her hips a little experimental rock, just to make sure, and her movement was answered with another groan as strong hands came up to grab those same hips.

“Sheng shi,*** Hermione!” Mal all but growled as all of the careful control he had always tried to maintain around the fascinating women threatened to crack and shatter when faced with such an unexpected offer. 

“Mal,” she responded as calmly as she could while her heart threatened to thump right out of her chest. After all, she knew that despite his obvious interest, he could still ask her to stop…and to leave. She did not know if she could bear it if he rejected her at that point and she almost wished she had not made the first move after all of her months of indecision about it. Consequently, she waited nervously for him to either push her away…or to pull her closer.

Therefore, she was quite confused and did not know what to expect when the man did neither of those things. Instead, he reached around her in order to tap some buttons and pull a lever on the console. 

“Mal?” This time it was a question.

“Just engagin’ the autopilot,” he answered with a grin – especially since he had made his decision, too. After all, she had finally given him his sign…and _Oh, what a sign it was!_ “It looks like I’m goin’ to be needin’ both my hands for… _other_ …endeavors,” he continued.

“Indeed, you are,” she agreed easily with relief as he pulled her down for their first kiss that was not fueled by alcohol. She stayed there for a whole lot more than just that, though. Consequently, it was quite some time before they were able to rejoin the others.

~~~~~

When they finally emerged, Zoe took one long look at them. “Bout gorram time,” she muttered, but she looked pleased as she turned her attention back to rewrapping the bandage around her sprained wrist. 

Jayne, though, had a different kind of reaction when he saw them together as their mutually disheveled condition provided the obvious evidence of their recent activities. “I’ll be in my bunk,” he announced before he quickly slipped away. After a moment, River, with a knowing smile in Hermione’s direction, followed him.

The others just laughed, however, and after a few goodnatured jabs and barbs at the new couple in their midst, things returned to as normal as they ever had been since a witch had made their lives on _Serenity_ just a little more magical in the first place. Hermione found that she did not mind the bit of teasing, either. After all, as she snuggled into Mal's side with his arm thrown across her shoulders, and gazed into the friendly faces around her, she realized that she finally felt as if she was where she was always meant to be _._ After all, it was obvious that _Serenity_ had always had a special kind of magic all its own in order for it to come to mean _Home_ to so many other previously lost souls, as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations from Mandarin/Chinese:  
> *Holy Testicle Tuesday!  
> **Filthy fornicators of livestock!  
> ***Holy shit!


End file.
